A Spirit of Adventure
by Scribe of Worlds
Summary: "It started out as mild curiosity in a junkyard, but now it has turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure." Was it a coincidence that this was the motto of Coal Hill School? The Doctor has old memories reawakened and finds old friends back where it all began. My take on a scene that should have been in "The Caretaker"


**I won't claim that this is my idea, as many people have also suggested this, but I believe that so far I am the only one to write a fic about this, so this is completely original! ;)**

**Oh, and little bit about myself, I will be needing a new beta for the story 'Help from Another World', as 'Alone on the Water' is getting busier with her work. I will be needing someone with a good knowledge of grammar and of course, knowledge in both worlds of Percy Jackson and Lord of the Rings. Shoot me a PM if you're interested in taking the job.**

**IGCSE's coming up soon too, so this might be the last post in quite some time. **

**Anyway...**

**Enjoy the story!**

**Allons-Y!**

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_It started out as a mild curiosity in the junkyard, but now it's turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure- The Doctor: the Sensorites (20 June - 1 August 1964)_

It was a perfectly normal day in Coal Hill School.

Among the school grounds, the Governor strolled, smiling at the janitors, nodding at the students. He listened to the murmuring inside the classes, looking through the windows at new generations learning. Whistling shook him from his thoughts. The new caretaker was whistling a jaunty tune as he walked past, carrying a broom over his shoulder and a bulging bag of tools in the other hand.

"Coal Hill School." The caretaker remarked to himself, a wry, knowing smile on his face as he read the plaque on the wall. "So many memories." He placed his hand on the signboard, his fingers tracing the school motto '_in the great spirit of adventure"_ He smiled again and shook his head, eyes distant.

The governor paused, smiling slightly. "Yes, that is our school motto." He chuckled. "The words of a wise old man."

The caretaker looked at him for the first time, and his eyes widened for a split second, as if recognizing him. Then he frowned and shook his head, obviously dismissing it. He turned back to the plaque, smiled a small, secret smile, then went back to his work.

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Disaster!

The governor of the school gaped at the mess in the assembly hall. Chairs were strewn randomly around the hall, and were some of them…_singed?_ There were obvious signs of a huge…disturbance. "What happened here?!" He paced around the room, gaping at the mess. Tonight was Parent's Night!

The doors burst open. "Governor, I can explain!" A very flustered Miss Oswald ran up. "There was…"

Another figure entered. "Play practice," Mr Pink explained dryly, shooting a look at Miss Oswald. "Practice for a...surprise play last night."

Miss Oswald elbowed him sharply in the rib, giving the governor an apologetic glance. "We…um…got a bit carried away."

Children these days...He suppressed a smile. Then he sniffed the air. Could he smell _smoke?_"And you apparently decided to have a bonfire too, I see. Where's the caretaker?"

"I'll…just go and get him, shall I?" Miss Oswald plastered a brilliant smile on her face, shooting off in an instant.

He raised an eyebrow at Mr. Pink. He shrugged helplessly in a _I know just as much as you do_ manner.

The doors burst open again and Miss Oswald entered, practically dragging a grumpy caretaker behind her. "Clara, I was _busy!_" A furious glare from the diminutive teacher silenced him.

The governor got the feeling there was a long and complex story here. He would have loved to delve deeper, but it was Parent's Night today, and he really had no time to stand around dithering.

"I hope to see this mess cleaned up by tonight." He nodded brusquely to the caretaker, then left the room.

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Never a moment's rest. The headmaster burst into his office, rubbing his head in frustration. "Governor? We need you down there. Two of our teachers have run off without explanation, leaving the parents of two students unattended. I will have to take one of the tables. Can you…?"

"Let me guess." The governor raised a finger, "Would the two teachers be Mr. Pink and Miss Oswald?" A nod. The governor shook his head in fond exasperation. "I should have guessed. Lately they've been thick as thieves." He rose from his chair and strode quickly to the hall to do some damage control.

Through the rest of the evening, the governor met with the parents of various students, talking with them over each child. He may have been the governor of the school, only required to make decisions and communicate with the board, but he was glad he had taken the time to keep tabs on each student's progress and listen to the teachers. Now he was able to field the parents' many questions with relative ease.

The event ended at last, the governor allowed himself to relax. A thought struck him. He should at least make an investigation into the actions of Mr Pink and Miss Oswald on their highly irregular behaviour. They may be young adults and in love, but they still did not give them the excuse to run off together in the middle of an event. A student informed him that the two teachers had been last seen speaking to the caretaker.

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He purposefully strode into the caretaker's shed, throwing the doors open. "Mr. Pink? Miss Oswald?" His eyes, which had been travelling around the room, stopped - caught. His eyes widened, his hands trembled and his jaw dropped. "_My God…"_

No, it wasn't the alien in the room that had shocked him. Not the strange robot with a bird's head and four spidery legs, two gun arms smokng. No, that wasn't the most shocking thing in the room. It wasn't the fact that the two teachers were embracing in a corner, nor the caretaker wearing a strange backpack made of odds and ends with blinking lights. The most shocking thing was the huge blue box standing in the corner.

That old 1960s Police Box, looking so out of place in the old shed. It looked a lot newer than before, but it was unmistakably the same. That ancient blue box. That damned, wonderful blue box. Walking reverently towards it, ignoring everyone else in the room, he touched the blue wood. It still hummed beneath his touch.

_It's a police box! What on earth's it doing here? These things are usually on the street. Feel it. Feel it. Do you feel it? There's a faint hum! _

"Governor! Mr Chesterton!" Miss Oswald frantically ran in front of him, blocking the door. "I...I…I can explain!"

The governor ignored her, gently pushing past her and touching the doors. They swung open silently, and his his eyes widened in wonder.

_It's an illusion. It must be._

_Remember the Red Indian. When he saw the steam train, his savage mind thought it was an illusion_

It was…_amazing? wonderful? beautiful?_It was..._new_. The console room he had known was bare and white, sterile. There had been round things in the walls and not much else, a hexagonal console filled with various instruments of all kinds rising from the floor. This new room was huge! There was a second level, filled with bookshelves and blackboards. There were much less of the round things than before, and the time rotor now rose all the way to the roof. Much of the old familiar instruments were gone, but he still picked out the dematerialisation lever, the yearometer and the scanner. Stairs led to a levels above and below. The final change was the lighting from stark white to a warm brown. There was a new sense of style, of sophistication. He gave a disbelieving laugh. "It's…bigger on the inside than the outside." He laughed again, feeling the urge to pinch himself. This was a dream.

_I made up the name Tardis from the initials, Time And Relative Dimension In Space_

_Just let me get this straight. A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard, it can move anywhere in time and space? _

The TARDIS was standing in front of him. As he looked inside, the lights seemed to flicker, and a hum rose, a sound that sounded almost welcoming. Yes, it was her. She was welcoming him back.

"Chesterton?" The caretaker spoke slowly. "Did you say…Chesterton?"

Ian Chesterton turned, looking at the caretaker. The face was new, completely different from the one he had known. This one was older, sadder, wiser. It had seen so much more, done so much more. There was new pain, but there was still wonder. His eyes, his old eyes, shone with the same light he had known so many years ago. "Doctor." He spoke slowly, tasting the word on his tongue again after years of unuse. "Doctor…Is that...Is that you?"

Miss Oswald looked completely lost. Her head whipped from Ian to the caretaker in increasing confusion.

The caretaker was studied him also, realization also dawning in his eyes. "Chesterfield, my dear boy…is that you?"

_Chesterfield? Chatterton? Chasserman? Charterhouse? Charlton? The Doctor had always insisted on calling him by the wrong name…_

Ian laughed again, his voice high with disbelief. "Dear boy...I haven't been called that in more than forty years…And after all this time, you still insist on getting my name wrong…Doctor."

The Doctor's face suddenly blossomed into a smile, a smile so wide it could have split his face. A low chuckle escaped him, then turned into a full laugh. Ian couldn't take it anymore. He surged forward and threw his arms around the Doctor. The Doctor stiffened, his arms stiff and straight. Ian laughed. It was reassuring to know some things haven't changed.

"Still not the hugging type, I take it?" He chuckled.

"Nope." Miss Oswald answered for him, her eyes still wide with shock."Mr Chesterton…you know the Doctor?"

Ian laughed. He seemed to be doing that a lot on this night. "_Know _him? He kidnapped me! Years ago."

"_Very well. Then you must go with them. I'll open the door."_

"_Grandfather NO!" _

His eyes misted. "Me and Barbara, that night in 1963…"

"But you haven't aged a day!" The Doctor spluttered. "You look no older than when we parted all those years ago!"

"Neither has Barbara." Ian raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain _that,_ Doctor?"

The Doctor started muttering furiously to himself, something about artron energy and sentient TARDIS, first humans and freak side effects, he tuned him out.

Ian refocused, scrutinizing Clara. "So...you travel with him now, Miss Oswald?"

A dumb nod was his reply.

Ian gave the Doctor a mock glare. "Still kidnapping teachers, I see."

The Doctor smirked. "Oh come on, Chesterfield, you know you enjoyed it."

"Am I the only one who didn't know about the Doctor in this school?" Mr Pink complained.

Ian patted him on the back reassuringly. "If it helps, none of the students know." He grinned.

Then Courtney Woods burst in. "Can I have a go on your space machine now?"

_What. _Ian, Clara and Danny shot the Doctor simultaneous death glares. The Doctor had grace to look embarrassed. "I'll ...just take her to drop off the Blitzer. Short trip." He promised. He quickly dragged the huge robot into the TARDIS and closed the door, with Courtney skipping gleefully in front of him.

Ian grabbed one door and pulled it open. "Doctor?!" He yelled.

"What is it Chatterton?!" The Doctor yelled back.

Ian waved a threatening finger. "You had better show up at our house tonight to meet Barbara. Tonight, you hear?!"

The Doctor laughed and closed the doors. Ian stepped back, marvelling as the light on top flashed in time to the sound, that wonderful sound. Whooshing. wheezing and groaning, the sound of the universe being compressed by engines. The TARDIS faded slowly, fading into an outline, which faded into nothing.

Ian shook his head in wonder, lost in his memories.

"Mr Chesterton?" Miss Oswald asked haltingly.

Ian turned shooting her a brilliant grin. "We really should arrange a meeting one day, eh Miss Oswald? Maybe we can exchange stories." He winked and strode out of the room, his mind still reeling.

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He returned home later than usual. Barbara was waiting for him, having already sent their son to bed. "You're back late." She remarked, not looking up. When he gave no reply, she looked up, noticing his mood instantly. "Ian?"

"Hmm?" He murmured, still grinning like a loon.

She raised an eyebrow and folded her arms, a small smile tugging at the corners of her face. "Just what has you in such a good mood tonight?"

Ian was about to answer, when he suddenly felt something shift in the room. A small gust of wind blew in their living room. His grin grew so much wider. "See for yourself." He answered. "A really old friend is coming to visit you."

The wind grew stronger, and a bright light flared to life midair. There was a slight, alien hum. The hairs on Barbara's skin suddenly stood on end. "That's…funny." Her eyes were wide, trying to grasp some half-remembered memory.

A low breathy groan sounded, growing in tone and volume, until the sound started. That beautiful, wonderful sound. The groan of ancient engines and the wheeze of a descending rotor. The sound that signalled the start of a new adventure, of exotic lands and fantastic experiences. An outline appeared. An outline of a box.

Barbara grasped his arm. "Ian!" She gasped. "It can't be…!"

In time with the sound, the light flashed, and the two windows flashed as they became clearer. Which each successive wheeze, the outline became more solid, until it stood in their living room. The door clicked open. Barbara put a hand to her mouth.

The Doctor stepped out, dressed impeccably in a sharp dark suit lined with red velvet. In comparison with the old threadbare coat and the Astrakhan hat, the Doctor certainly had gained a sense of style over the years. Ian took the moment to study him closely. The weathered face, the eyebrows, oh the eyebrows. Y_ou could take bottle tops of with these_.

This Doctor had a new air of darkness around him that the one they had known didn't. This Doctor had faced horrifying terrors, done terrible things. But of course, that same half smile, that unextinguished wonder in his eyes, still shining in spite of the darkness he had experienced. He was still the same man.

Barbara stared at him in wonder. At first, it seemed like she didn't recognize him. But slowly, recognition dawned in her eyes. "D...Doctor…"

The man who had stepped out from the box gave a slow nod.

Barbara let out a choked sob, then rushed forward to embrace him. Once again, the Doctor seemed hugely uncomfortable with the hug, but for Barbara, he placed his arms around her too, patting her gently as she cried into his shoulder.

"You came back!" She gasped.

To his wonder, the Doctor's smile was almost paternal, a smile that Ian had only seen him give Susan before. "I couldn't stay away. You look as young as ever, Barbara Wright."

"While _you_ look so different! How is it possible?!"

The Doctor smiled. "I didn't exactly reveal all that much about myself then, did I? my planet, my race, my abilities…" He cleared his throat. "He glanced down at himself. I've regenerated. It's an...ability my people have. When one body wears out and or is dying, I can change every cell in my body to a new form. Same man, same memories, but different face. This is my thirteenth body already." He smiled. "The me that you met was only my first, so young and rough, still running away from my responsibilities."

He took a deep breath. "I'm the Doctor, a Time Lord of the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous, I am more than two thousand years old. I am the Oncoming Storm, I am the Saviour of Worlds, I am president elect of the High Council of Time Lords, Keeper of the Legacy of Rassilon, Defender of the Laws of Time, Protector of Gallifrey, etcetera, etcetera." He smirked.

"You got that part about being the same man right." Ian commented dryly. "Still as puffed up as ever, just gained a few more titles to flaunt."

Barbara laughed and hugged him again. "I missed you so much." She admitted. She poked him. "You have certainly been busy, haven't you?" She said mock accusingly.

The Doctor feigned ignorance. "What?"

"We've heard stories, you know. UNIT met with us. I seem to recall something about a white haired man in velvet driving a yellow car." Ian remarked, folding his arms.

"Or a loon with an insanely long scarf." Barbara joined in.

"And let's talk about recent events, shall we? Downing Street exploding sound familiar?"

"The Christmas invasions?"

"Sam Jones disappearing from our school. We _knew _something was up when the place she was last seen was the junkyard!"

"Oh, and Doctor? What exactly was the Shoreditch Incident? Something about a _Dalek _civil war_ IN OUR SCHOOL?!"_

_"_Ghosts, metal men and Daleks? Does the Battle of Canary Wharf ring a bell?"

"Planets in the sky, eh Doctor? Daleks invading earth…again."

"The day everyone stopped dying? The aliens taking over our children?"

The Doctor raised his hands placatingly, then increasingly frantically as they continued talking over him. When they finally stopped, crossing their arms with mock anger on their faces, he gave a helpless shrug. "Well in my defense, I _did _stop them before there was too much damage." He frowned. "Except for Miracle Day and the 456. That was you humans."

Barbara broke into a soft smile. "That's true. Thank you, Doctor. I wonder what Earth would have done without you."

Ian snorted. "Probably attracted a lot less attention, don't you think?"

The Doctor chuckled again, "You humans do a fine job of that yourselves. You can't blame me for every alien invasion. But enough about me, tell me about your lives." His eyes softened. "How have you been getting along without me?"

"Oh, we got back home two years after we left." Ian grinned. It was strange, but even after two years of absence and being fired _in absentia_, we still managed to obtain positions at Cambridge. We were told a great benefactor of the school vouched for us, fellow named Harkness, I believe."

"An old...friend. Remind me to thank him when I next bump into him."

Barbara took up the tale. "We continued to teach. Both of us obtained positions in Cambridge, but when people started getting curious about our age, we returned back to Coal Hill School." Ian explained. "Eventually I got promoted to school governor."

"And you two got married. About time, too. I always knew it would happen. " The Doctor had a fond smile. "I was at the wedding, in my tenth regeneration."

Barbara and Ian had matching looks of shock. "Were you…were you the man in the brown suit? With the messy hair?" Barbara wondered. "I always thought he felt so familiar…"

The Doctor nodded. "I was dying then. I took the last moments of that life to visit my companions once more." He smiled. "It was good to see you once more…"

"And of course…" Barbara smiled. "There's John…"

"Who's John?"

"Our son." Barbara grinned proudly. "John Alydon Ganatus Chesterton."

"We named him in honor of the Thals we met." Ian explained.

The look on the Doctor's face could only be described as fierce pride. If Ian wasn't mistaken, was there a drop of liquid falling from his eye?

"You said it had been two thousand years for you, Doctor." Barbara mused. "I'm sure there must have been many other companions." Her voice caught. "Did you ever forget us?"

The Doctor looked down. He worked his jaw, laced his fingers together and cleared his throat. After an internal struggle, he sighed. "If it wasn't for you, " He began slowly, "If it wasn't for you...my lives would have...been different. I would never have had the life I had. Because of you two I decided to continue to take on more humans as companions." He smile was distant. "If it wasn't for you...I would still be that angry, lonely man, alone in the universe. Unknown, uncaring, alone."

He looked up. "I...had the chance, in my eleventh regeneration…I entered my own time stream. I saw so much. Planets saved, enemies defeated, friends made, friends lost. I had no idea that I had touched so many lives. I hadn't known what a difference I had made. If it wasn't for you...teaching me compassion, friendship, becoming a good man...There would be no one, nothing."

Barbara had a single, shining tear streaking down her face. Ian himself felt tears welling in his eyes.

"Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright." He spoke, his face completely serious. "You have always been, and always will be my first companions. From the first time you barged into my TARDIS...and I kidnapped you." He winked.

"_It all started out as a mild curiosity in the junkyard, and now it's turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure."_ Ian reminisced , a wave of pride and nostalgia washing through him.

"Exactly." The Doctor snapped his fingers. The TARDIS door swung open once more. He strode into the TARDIS, with the two of them following behind. He went straight to the console, flicking a few switches. He turned to grin at them, his weathered face alight with new excitement. "So what do you say? One last adventure?"

"Oh! You've redecorated!" Barbara exclaimed, stepping into the TARDIS. "There's so many things inside here!" She ran her hands over the railings, puzzled over the equations on the blackboards, picked up a book from the shelves lining the walls.

"Yes." The Doctor remarked. He glanced at them almost shyly. "Do you like it?"

Barbara laughed, her eyes shining, "It's very different, but like you, she still feels the same. Yes, I like it!"

The Doctor smiled and gestured to the console. "Well? Take a punt. Wherever, Whenever. Anywhere in Time and Space." He watched his companions explore the room in awe. His hearts had rarely felt so full.

Barbara surveyed him striding around the console, flicking switches and pushing buttons, in a manner that had come more from years of trial and error than from reading the instruction manual. "Are you sure you can still fly the TARDIS well?" She teased. "I don't want to go on one trip that turns to a dozen because we can't land back here."

"Or arrive two years late." Ian quipped. "In another stolen time machine."

The Doctor looked insulted. "I'll have you know that I can fly her perfectly now!" A piece of machinery sparked, making him yelp. The lights flickered, and Ian got the sense that the TARDIS was laughing. The Doctor glared at the console. "Almost perfectly."

"In that case, I'm all for it." Ian walked up to the console, running a hand over the new controls.

"Count me in." Barbara was positively glowing with excitement.

The Doctor made some final adjustments, then shoved a handle forwards. The time rotor moved up and down with the familiar wheezing sound, up and down. Ian and Barbara found themselves grinning like maniacs.

_Have you ever wondered what it is to be wanderers in the fourth dimension?_

They were off once more, the Doctor and his first companions, in the great spirit of adventure.

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**Well, hope you enjoyed this sweet little oneshot! **

**Ian Chesterton being the governor is from the opening shots of _"Day of the Doctor"_**

**The bit about the 'Spirit of Adventure' being the school motto and the entire first section is taken from the recent episode "_The Caretaker"_**

**All quotes in italics taken from the very first adventure '_An Unearthly Child'_**

**The reference about the Doctor visiting their wedding and the one about Ian and Barbara never aging comes from the _Sarah Jane Adventures _episode "_Death of the Doctor"_**

**Please remember to review!**

**PJCrazy signing out**


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